Potato-digger.



No. 649,0l7. Patented M ay 8, |900. P. TrEnEMANN.

PUTATU DIGGER.

(Application led Fe'b` 9, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. 649,0l7. Patented May 8, |900. P. TIEDEMANN.

POTATO BIGGER.

(Application med Teb. 9.1900.) v (No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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PAUL TIEDEMANN, or NoRTI-I LINNDALE, oI-IIo.

PoTATo-DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersratent No. 649,017, dated May e, 1900.

Application tiled February 9, 1900. Serial N0. 4,615. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL TIEDEMANN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of North Linndale, county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, of which I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

AMy invention relates to improvements in potato-diggers; and the object of the invention is to provide mechanism which will separate the potatoes from the dirt and lrefuse inclosing them and lay them on the 'top of the ground, where they will be clean and accessible to the one gathering them. To accomplish these results, I employ the device described in the following specificatiomshown in the accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a section of chain for apron. Fig. 4 is a perspective View.

In the views, l is the iframe, which is providedwith axle-wrists 2, one on each side, for the main wheels 3, and a transverse bar 4, which carries the seat 5. The frame is further provided with downwardly-turned arms 6, one on each side, at the extremities of which are found bearings for the sprocket-wheels 7 ,Y

upon which is mounted one extremity of the sifting-apron 8. The other extremity of this apron is mounted upon smaller sprocket- Wheels 9, secured in turn upon the side bars 10 at their forward extremities. These side bars pivot at the rear upon the shaft of the sprocket-Wheels 7 and are connected together in front by means of the scoop-shovel 12. The bars and shovel are lowered in front to engage the earth by means of the links 1l and lever and arms 13 and 14. The side bars 10 rise one on each side of the sitter, so as to retain the load of dirtand potatoes which is carried up thereon, the dirt sifting through and the heavy weeds or grass being carried up with such potatoes as are too large to fall through the sieveopenings. After passing up the inclined sieve the dirt and potatoes remaining fall upon the second sieve 1G,

which is also inclined upward and is provided with cross-bars spaced farther apart, so as to leave openings two or three times the size of those in the first inclined sieve.

In Figs. l and 2 spur-gears are shown driving the sprocket-wheel shaft at 40 and 4l, the gear 22 being directly driven by the large spur-gears 24 upon the wheel-hubs. In Fig. 4, however, a sprocketchain 25 engages the wheels 26 and 27 and takes the place of the gearing.

The heavy roller 30 is pivoted in the fork 3l, attached to the front of the main frame or to the pole. This roller is quite important to the best working of the machine, since it presses and mats down the weeds, thus putting them'in good condition to be taken in a body up by the shovel and carried by the bars of the aprons until thrown aside by the inclined fork.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I .claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters l. In a potato-digger, the combination with a frame provided with axle-wrists one upon each side, rearwardly-depending arms, and an elevated transverse bar, upon which the seat is supported, of a shaft for sprocket- Wheels supported in the depending extremities of the frame, side bars supported at their rear extremities upon said shaft, and connected in front by an inclined shovel, an endless sifting-apron provided withl cross-bars at regular intervals, and adapted to move between said side bars-sprocketwheels mounted upon front and rear shafts adapted to operate and support said apron, spur-gears upon the main wheel, hubs and rear sprocket-shaft, an auxiliary sifting-apron provided with crossbars spaced at a greater distance apart than IOO receive refuse too large to pass through the first-named apron, a diagonally-placed fork adapted to turn said refuse away from the 15 path of the machine, and a roller secured to the front of the machine and adapted to press down and mat grass or Weeds in advance of the shovel, substantially as described.

Signed by me at Cleveland, Ohio, this 20th 2o day of December, A. D. 1899.

PAUL TIEDEMANN.

Witnesses:

WM. M. MONROE,- JEssE A. FENNER. 

